Author Archives: fearsnofish

Fishing Report August 16, 2015

Weather and fishing fall into August pattern Fishing the nearshore reefs and wrecks with my Just Reel fishing charters is resulting in mangrove snapper, flounder and juvenile grouper. Migratory fish such as Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and blue runner can also be found around structure this month. For all of these species, live shiners are […]

Fishing Report August 9, 2015

Stop watching the radar and go fish The weather is back to normal and the fishing with Just Reel fishing charters is following suit. Light east winds in the morning followed by a sea breeze and 40% chance of rain in the afternoon. Ahhh. A sigh of relief. If you haven’t been out since the […]

Fishing Report August 2, 2015

Rain, rain go away — please stay out of Tampa Bay If you like fishing in the rain, this past week was your week. Like clockwork, thunderstorms developing in the Gulf of Mexico were taking landfall every morning usually before 10 a.m. Does this affect the fishing you ask? No too much, the fish are […]

Fishing Report July 26, 2015

Summer fishing around Anna Maria – hot in more ways than one Fishing around Anna Maria Island in the heat of July can be a challenging venture to say the least. With water temps hovering in the mid to upper 80s choosing the right time and spot are imperative. Most fishers in the backcountry are […]

Fishing Report July 19, 2015

Hatch bait increases, bringing migratory species to area Fishing around Anna Maria Island is improving compared to the bite of last week. An influx of hatch bait is appearing in Tampa Bay, which is in turn attracting a multitude of migratory fish. Around these large schools of bait are Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, blue runners […]

Fishing Report July 12, 2015

Beat the heat — fish early or go deep Well, if I said fishing around Anna Maria Island is good as it gets, I’d be lying. Or better yet, let’s say I’d be slightly exaggerating the truth — that sounds better. Although the fishing is not exceptional, that doesn’t mean there aren’t fish to be […]

Fishing Report July 5, 2015

Bye bye tarpon, it’s time to catch dinner As you probably already know, gag grouper season opened as of July 1. The season is set to run through December 2 and close on December 3, 2015. Size and bag limits are as follows — you are allowed two gag grouper within the four grouper aggregate […]

Fishing Report June 28, 2015

Water temps heat up and so does the snapper bite If you can stand the heat, fishing around Anna Maria Island is favorable, especially for mangrove snapper. Whether fishing around artificial reefs, wrecks, rock piles, bridges, rivers or jetties you are bound to find some mangrove snapper. I’m even finding snapper on the flats while […]

Fishing Report June 21, 2015

Put some snapper in your mullet wrapper An abundance of mangrove snapper is a welcome sight in our local waters. Most artificial reefs, wrecks and rock piles in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are prime spots for these tasty fish. To catch these snapper, a number of baits can be used. The two […]

Fishing Report June 7, 2015

Tarpon remain center stage for yet another week around Anna Maria Island Schools of fish are being reported from as far south as New Pass in Sarasota all the way north to Egmont Key. Preferred baits are crabs, threadfin herring or live shiners. Targeting fish around the passes before sunrise is a sure fire way […]